A Natural
by Nyirria
Summary: Joel gets up in the middle of the night to find an Australian with sleeping problems not too unlike his own. Warm milk in mugs. Boys liking boys. My usual cup 'o tea.


**11:23 PM.**

The digital clock held the numbers in electric blue, dimly illuminating its proximity. It washed some light over Joel's face, but the male tried to ignore looking at the time. He was an insomniac, and had been since he was little, often staying up till early morning. A few hours of sleep—maybe seven or less—was all he could get, and that was when he was extremely tired. In which extremely tired meant that his body felt like a sack of potatoes and his eyes seemed to roll back into his head.

It wasn't pleasing. And he always felt like a fledgling vampire the next morning, starving and groggy.

Joel flipped himself onto his right side, shutting his eyes so tight they hurt. He slipped his hand under his pillow and relished the cool pillowcase on his warm skin. Having already tried counting sheep, Joel thought of the dreamland, trying to make the desired dimension ensnare his mind.

It didn't work, which wasn't at all surprising.

He groaned in frustration and opened his eyes. His vision was perfect at the moment, with the help of his night contacts. Joel twisted his body and flopped onto his stomach, burying his face in his white pillow. He could sometimes fall asleep on his belly, arms and legs positioned like a frog preparing to leap. Corbin and Desiree would laugh or shout to wake him up when he slept like that. They get a kick out of it when he freaks out.

Joel huffed and thought about falling asleep, relaxing his tensed and annoyed eyelids, letting his eyes flutter closed. He thought about sipping a glass of warmed milk, reading a book about dream language, and listening to a lullaby his parents used to sing to him and his siblings to sleep when they were tiny toddlers.

Still didn't work. Joel was getting irritated by the minute.

Pushing himself up with the force of his sleepy and wobbly arm strength, he opened his eyes and stared at the Vans poster framed above the headboard for a few minutes. Joel sighed and rolled off the bed, nearly falling onto the floor with his feet tangled in the sheets. Muttering a small swear he drowsily walked over to his bedroom door, his hand missing the door handle three times.

With his hand finally on the handle he opened his door and stepped out onto the hallway. Joel squinted and saw a light on downstairs, a shadow was casted across the floor, one that seemed to hold a cup in two hands. He let his door open just a crack and he walked down the hall to peer around the corner. A figure was seated at the diner table, sipping from a steamed mug. Joel recognized the messy head of light brown hair, the color of butterscotch.

_Austin_. Joel nearly forgot that the older teen was staying over for a few days, avoiding to have to break up with his girlfriend. At least, until he was settled on the words to simply say: "_we're done_."

The brunette turned his head and his hazel eyes settled on Joel. They held the contact for a couple seconds and Austin closed his eyes to avoid having them tear up from drinking his steaming beverage.

"Can't sleep either?"

Joel watched as Austin swallowed his drink behind his lowered lashes before looking down at his bare feet. "Nope."

Austin nodded, setting his mug down on the maplewood table to stand up. He waved Joel over. "Come 'ere, I warmed up some milk on the stove. It's the last of the milk you had in the fridge. You might want to go to the market and restock, I even checked the cupboards and the pantry. What have you been eating if you don't have anything in your own kitchen?"

Joel just padded into the kitchen slash dining area, shoving his hands in his pajama bottom's pockets. It's true that he hasn't gone to the market in a while, he's been living on instant ramen and pasta for the past week. It wasn't exactly Joel's ideal diet, but he does throw in at least one fruit for every meal.

"You've been though, _right_?"

Joel looked up but rested his line of sight just to the left of Austin. He nodded his head meekly. "I've been eating, yeah."

Austin saw Joel avoid his gaze and shook his head, discarding the thought of digging deeper into Joel's reasoning for the lack of food in his storage. He walked over to the utensil cupboard and pulled out a blue clay mug, bringing it over to the idle stove where sat a stovetop pot with a ladle. Austin silently poured Joel a mug of heated milk, filling the mug a little over halfway.

"Here." Austin slid the mug over the marble counter and watched as Joel picked it up with both of his hands. He fought a smile that threatened his lips as he watched Joel take a small sip from the milk. "One itty bitty sip won't do the job, Joel. Drink up."

Joel's cheekbones took up a light red color and he took a longer sip, letting the milk linger in his mouth before letting the warm drink rush down his throat. He relished the feeling and hummed, clutching the mug to his chest as if giving it a hug. Though, to be honest, the milk deserves it, for being so helpful.

Austin chuckled and Joel set the mug down on the counter and tried to wipe his mouth with the back of his hand.

"_Stop_."

Joel's hand stopped in midair and flopped down to his side. Austin walked up to him, a washcloth in his hand, he wiped off the faint milk mustache with one clean sweep. Joel was blushing furiously, while Austin seemed as cool as a box of cucumbers. He couldn't help but admire how the brunette was extremely capable of hiding any such emotion in any situation brought to him.

"You shouldn't wipe off your mouth with the back of your hand, it'll spread germs, silly Joel. I thought you'd be aware of that," Austin said, setting the cloth on the counter next to Joel's mug.

Joel averted his eyes again and set them on the cloth, his hands were sweaty in his pockets. Austin scowled, quite annoyed how the redhead kept on avoiding his eyes, and he slammed his hand on the marble counter. Joel jumped a fraction as the blue mug did so, the milk swishing inside of it.

"Look at me Joel." Joel didn't, letting his eyes darted to the tile floor under them. "_Look at me, Joel_," Austin repeated lifting the younger male's chin with a finger. "Why are you ignoring me?"

Only now did Joel notice that Austin didn't have his glasses on, nor did he have contacts. It suited the Australian, letting his hazel eyes and angular features show up in the light, rather than let hidden behind the lenses. Joel felt his heart beat loudly in his chest. His ears were probably a bright red from the heat he felt there.

"Tell me, why? Have I said anything to make you do so? Or did I do something that went against you? If I did, I'm sorry, Joel," Austin said this in a tone that sounded desperate. "I'm sorry, you hear me? Talk to me, Joel. Tell me you're not mad or angry or pissed at me."

Joel shook his head and looked at Austin's eyes, which were an inch shorter from his. "You didn't say or do anything, Austin. You did nothing to get me mad, I'm not pissed, Aus," Joel reassured the brunette, whose free hand firmly grasped his forearm.

"Then why aren't you talking to me?"

Joel swallowed and Austin furrowed his eyebrows, his eyes piercing the taller teenager with irritation. "You know, I asked to stay over not just to escape the need to break up with Blaire. And I'm pretty sure you don't know why, or you just refuse to acknowledge it.

"But I'm telling you, _acknowledge it now_."

Austin gripped harder onto Joel's arm and his other hand moved down to Joel's shoulder, gripping firmly there. He saw as Joel's expression was a mix of confusion, surprise, as well as a little bit of fear and pain from Austin's iron grip. Austin screwed his eyes shut and Joel was still the whole time as the Australian explained everything.

"I asked Blaire out because I wanted you to notice me, not as a best friend, but a guy. I wanted you– I wanted to make you jealous, I wanted you to see me as a guy you'd like and date, not as brother like Corbin," Austin said in a hurried fashion, but Joel took all of it in. "I see how Punchy and Julian and Tiffany look at you with a look that a predator might look at its prey.

"I get jealous when you accept their intimate words and touches, that's why I don't talk to you for about a day, and I know it's stupid 'cause you don't see how they look at you. So I went and dated Blaire, tried to act lovey-dovey to gain your attention, but it didn't work," Austin sighed, taking in air to refill his lugs.

"So I decided to break it off with her, but before that, spend the night here so– so I can confess to you all that I'm saying now," Austin glared at a speckle of lint on Joel's white shirt. "And I'm kinda terrified on what you'll say afterwards."

Austin loosened his grip on the younger teen and his hands slid down, remaining at Joel's bony wrists before slipping into his hands, entwining their fingers with a look of uncertainty. "Or if you'll stay silent as you always have when I'm pissed, nervous, or unhappy."

Joel was quiet for around a minute, and Austin began to lose his confidence, as well as his patience. "If I need to explain it _bluntly_, I like you Joel– no, I _love_ you Arkwright, ever since we became friends…" Austin trailed off, looking up at Joel with knotted eyebrows and fierce eyes. "And even more so when you called me your best friend."

"Well…" Joel started, choking on his tongue, at a loss for words.

"Well?"

Joel closed his eyes and opened to look into Austin's expecting ones. "I may not have been the most observant"—Austin scoffed at that, but stayed silent—"but I, honestly, got jealous of Blaire when she kisses you, and you kiss her back. But you know me, I tend to stand in the back, the corner if I can help it, and stay quiet about things like this.

"I just let the two of you happen."

Austin pinched the bridge of his nose and looked at him sternly. "Why, _why_ would you do that? You could've told me, and I could've ended me and Blaire _sooner_," Austin whined, bringing Joel's hands close, "and we could've been together since then."

It was Joel's turn to scoff. "You sound like a whiny baby."

"You turn me into one," Austin said, pulling the taller teen closer lifting his chin a bit higher to capture Joel's lips in his. It was nice and innocent, yet long-awaited for. The two smiled into the kiss and they fixed their firmly enlaced fingers, making it so they were closer.

Austin pulled back and he looked up at Joel with a newfound happiness, an uncontrollable grin on his lips. "Does it make us…?"

Joel hummed and leaned in to bring their foreheads together. "I guess it does, but what about Blaire?" Joel asked, sudden distress in his amber eyes. Austin laughed at the mention of his soon-to-be ex-girlfriend. The soon-to-be poor soul.

"Who cares?" Austin asked happily, and gave Joel a soft peck. "I'll think of something in the morning, make it up as I go. Probably give a short and blunt speech on how our relationship wasn't at all working out. Explain where the love was deteriorating, complete with white lies of course. And drop the bomb at the end, saying that I'm in love with my best friend, who's also a better kisser."

Austin leaned in for a kiss once more and Joel chuckled and swayed back, their lips barely touching. "Me better at kissing? I've never really had a lot of girlfriends or boyfriends to practice on. I've probably only had one or two before you."

The Australian smiled and their noses brushed the other.

"Well, I guess your a natural."

* * *

**A/N** : Something that came into mind when I thought of my own insomnia. Warm milk + Joel & Austin = kissey kissey time. Pfft.


End file.
